Heremembered，beforeheslept，thehourofhisyouthwhenhewasinMayencebefore，andwassocarefreethathehadheardwithimpersonaljoytwoyoungAmericanvoicesspeakingEnglishinthestreetunderhiswindow。Oneofthembrokefromthecommontalkwithagayburlesqueofpathosintheline：
“Ohheavens！shecried，myHeedingcountrysave！”
andthenwithalaughinggood-nighttheseunseen，unknownspiritsofyouthpartedanddeparted。Whowerethey，andinwhatdifferentplaces，withwhatcaresorills，hadtheirjoyousvoicesgrownold，orfallensilentforevermore？Itwasamoonlightnight，Marchremembered，andherememberedhowhewishedhewereoutinitwiththosemerryfellows。
Henursedthememoryandthewonderinhisdreamingthought，andhewokeearlytoothervoicesunderhiswindow。Butnowthevoices，thoughyoung，weremanyandwereGerman，andthemarchoffeetandthestampofhooveskepttimewiththeirsinging。Hedrewhiscurtainandsawthestreetfilledwithbrokensquadsofmen，someafootandsomeonhorseback，someinuniformandsomeincivildresswithstudents’caps，looselystragglingonandroaringforththatsongwhosewordshecouldnotmakeout。Atbreakfastheaskedthewaiterwhatitallmeant，andhesaidthatthesewereconscriptswhoseservicehadexpiredwiththelatemanoeuvres，andwhowerenowgoinghome。HepromisedMarchatranslationofthesong，buthenevergaveit；andperhapsthesenseoftheirjoyfulhome-goingremainedthemorepoeticwithhimbecauseitsutteranceremainedinarticulate。
MarchspenttherainySunday，onwhichtheyhadfallen，inwanderingaboutthelittlecityalone。Hiswifesaidshewastiredandwouldsitbythefire，andhearaboutMayencewhenhecamein。Hewenttothecathedral，whichhasitsrenownforbeautyandantiquity，andhethereaddedtohisstockofusefulinformationthefactthatthepeopleofMayenceseemedveryCatholicandverydevout。TheyproveditbypreferringtoanyofthedivineoldGothicshrinesinthecathedral，anuglybaroquealtar，whichwaseverywherehungaboutwithvotiveofferings。Afashionablydressedyoungmanandyounggirlsprinkledthemselveswithholywaterasreverentlyasiftheyhadbeenoldandragged。Sometouristsstrolledupanddowntheaisleswiththeirredguide-books，andstudiedtheobjectsofinterest。Aresplendentbeadleinacockedhat，andwithalongstaffofauthorityposedbeforehisownecclesiasticalconsciousnessinblueandsilver。Atthehighaltarapriestwassayingmass，andMarchwonderedwhetherhisconsciousnesswasaswhollyecclesiasticalasthebeadle’s，orwhethersomewhereinithefeltthehistoricalmajesty，thelonghumanconsecrationoftheplace。